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Remember going to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra last year at the Garden, 2 days before Xmas. They finish their first set, and say "And we have a special guest in the audience today, perhaps she'll come up and play." It was Joan Jett. We were treated to a 10-minute rendition of "I Love Rock And Roll." It was AWESOME. :D _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

That's part of what makes me so damn cute. And cuddly! don't forget cuddly! _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

no one doesn't know me and likes me. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Thank you all for the info! Most appreciated. I suppose I'll try and find PD at SKYLI when they're there. I could also demo a 190 or similar from my pro shop, as that would probably be more similar than my 229. Again, thanks much for the advice! _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Now what would be weird and stalkerish is if we took this conversation to PM. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Better now, baby! How YOU doin'? _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

No, no, no... How YOU doin'?

I wasn't commenting on the high-fives. That's tacky and juvenille. I was saying that men should totally not be afraid of a 2-guy 1-girl situation. It can be, if done with the right people, a LOT of fun. The human form is sexual in any way, shape, or form. But it should be treated with respect. That's how it should work, anyway. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Depends on the guy and girl. Can be a lot of fun. Um... So I've... you know... heard. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Think about it - if he'd done it and you'd interfered, you would have disrupted the space time continuum, which would have prevented you from getting back t0 1985 because they wouldn't have been around to go to the enchantment under the sea dance and fall in love, thereby preventing.... Oh, wait. Sorry. My bad. Glad your mom's ok. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

I REALLY, REALLY like that. :D :D :D _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

That's funny - You're the first person to ever think that was what it was. It's not, but now that I look at it, I could see how it could be construed as... Heh! _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Duh. I'm sorry. Yes - Another skydiving card. I should have mentioned that. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

so it's August 1st. Which means that at some point soon, I'm going to have to start thinking about what I want to do with my Holiday card this year. Last year, I did the attached... Livepreview was outside, livepreview2 was inside. This year, I've improved a lot (my sit has actually become a sit, instead of a sit/flail/curse/repeat...) One of the major answers I get when people ask why I skydive is that it gives me "me" time - time when I can't be reached, blackberried, etc. It's "me" time. One idea I had for the card photo was the opposite - blackberrying in freefall, with the inside message something like, "don't forget the important things in life." Or something sarcastic like that. But on the same note, I'm open for something inspirational, like last year's card was. I got a TON of compliments on the card, and I'm sappy enough that I'd do another inspirational one like that over a sarcastic one, if given the choice. So... That said... What should I do? Think picture on the front, related card message on the inside. And thanks for any and all advice! :) _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

...because most non-packing 100-ish jump folk know how to sew bridle attachment points to canopies . For what it's worth, my packing is coming along. Slowly. If I started now, I could probably sew those bridle attachment points by... I dunno... November. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Here's a thought... I have a PD 190 reserve... I've never flown it. (knock wood.) However, I'd like to, just to know what it's like. (I'm flying a Safire 2/229 currently. I read somewhere that PD will let you test reserves? Is that accurate? Obviously, I'm not going to pull my reserve upon deplying for the sake of testing it. I figure there's another way that I simply don't know about yet. Right? Any info appreciated, as always. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Know the background? That was HYSTERICAL... It was a broadcast for a T show in Europe that did parodies and passed them off as real. This wasn't actually a real event, but rather, a set up show. The whole thing, including the guy in the audience, was a set-up. They broadcast it as a real event, to see how many letters/complaints the network would get. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

You rock. :) Thanks! _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

I was fat as a kid. I'm not fat anymore. In my head, I'll always be the fat kid, no matter how thin I get. And no amount of therapy will change that. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Guys: A birthday of mine that I'm all for ignoring is coming up very soon and some friends have asked what to get me. I'm fortunate - I have friends, 2 wonderful cats, and a great rig - I don't really need much else. I thought it'd be cool (and the cats agreed wholeheartedly) if I told them (my friends, not the cats) to donate to that animal shelter/rescue place that GirlFallDown was so fond of. Of course, remembering the name would be most helpful, I think. Any help? -Peter _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

James Spader. No Way man you're more Robert Downey Jr He did ask me where he could score some blow when I met him... No I didn't. I have the best connection this side of the Bronx. :-P _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

James Spader. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

No. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

I fly too much so I generally get upgraded to the front of the bus in the big seats. The flight I was on from St Louis to Dallas was full of business people in dockers and polos to suits. Here I am with my WFFC hat on, TShirt with a couple dirt stains, Tevas and 'black' feet from roving around. One guy makes a comment about 'those people' taking advantage of the airlines mistake and getting the big kid seats. In the middle of this were two flight attendant who basically said 'ummmm...sir...His status is higher than yours.' the guy shut up. YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!!! THAT is what makes all my travel so damn worth it. BEST story ever: Grabbed an earlier flight home from LA to NYC about a year ago or so. All they had left was an exit row MIDDLE (ugh) but I took it, wanted to get home. Guy on the aisle was like, 4'2" if he was a foot. I asked him if I could offer him anything (a drink, money, etc.) to switch for my middle, since he wasn't that tall, and I'd kill for the exit row aisle for the legroom. He was a snot, and said no, he liked the seat. I said, "OK, thanks anyway," and started to put on my headphones. He said, "you know, if you want an aisle seat so bad, you could probably get one back there," pointing to the back of the plane. "Well, that's not really a win for me, since I'd be giving up the legroom in exchange. No big deal, I'll just take this middle seat." He says snottily, "Well, winning isn't everything." So I was like, "ok then," and put on my headphones. Right as they were about to close the door, the gate agent gets on board, walks down to my row. "Mr. Shankman?" "Yes," I say. "Sir, we have one empty seat in First Clas, and it's yours based on your status. Please grab your bags and follow me." Smiling, I got out of my middle seat, stepped over the annoying man, and grabbed my bags out of the overhead bin. As I started walking up the aisle, I turned around and looked at the man, who was quite obviously fuming. "Actually, sir," I said, "Winning IS everything." And then I went up and sat down in First Class. It was... Nice.

First time I've ever disagreed with Tonto... I'd say quite the opposite. Was just having this discussion tonight with a skydiver over Crabs and beer (soda for me, thank you, stupid marathon training,) at a local hole-in-the-wall Crab shack near Sebastian. I am one of those people who is 100 billion percent type A. I work 23 hours a day, I always have my Crackberry, cell phone, etc., on me at all times. I'm always on the road for work, always working, always hustling. I run two companies. It keeps me busy. That's what I used to do seven days a week. 24/7, that was me. Occasionally, I'd take an hour here or there for a run or something similar, but it was rare. Then I started jumping. At first, I jumped, landed, and checked my email. "What'd I miss?" Then, I jumped, jumped again, and would check my email. And eventually I realized that email, clients, etc., they would all wait 10 minutes, if they needed to. And nothing would blow up. And if something did, it could be fixed when I landed. And never has a client complained. Because I'm still as 24/7 as I've always been - if they need me to be. Today, I jumped, hung out at the drop zone, went swimming in the ocean, ate Crabs, drank Soda, and got back to my hotel. And my email was waiting for me. And nothing blew up. And nothing exploded. And the world waited while I skydived. And it was good. Skydiving has given me the ability to just, sometimes, "let it go." To enjoy myself. To live. To not constantly worry that I should be on a call, or be working, or waiting on a client. Skydiving lets me be me. It's lets me learn who I'm supposed to be. Today I did my first head down exit, and held it until I was falling, according to my Neptune, at 203 miles per hour. That was the most incredible feeling. You don't get that from a Crackberry or a fax. I've learned to embrace that feeling. It doesn't come often. I can feel it, love it, enjoy it, learn from it. Grow with it. I can replay it in my mind when I'm having a shitty day, and enjoy what it does for me. I can remember it and se it make me calmer on a random Tuesday when client crap is pulling me in 20 different directions, or when I'm 20 minutes away from missing my flight to Tokyo and have some idiot TSA official anal-probing me because I looked at her wrong. Skydiving has made me more complete - more aware that there's more to life than work. Nothing - not a woman, (haven't found the right one yet, obviously) not running, not my cats, not leisure travel - (you're talking to the guy who sold his first company and tried to take a year off, and it lasted 3 weeks before I got bored and left a beach in Thailand to come home) nothing - has made me realize that there's more than work - until skydiving. I think, in the end, it comes down to this: Skydiving, all the good and bad parts of it, has made me realize that life is fleeting. Life is short. Life exists for the blink of an eye. It's what we do during that blink that matters - we don't get another chance - and I've yet to meet someone who, on their death bed, was quoted as saying, "yeah, I should have worked more." So I'd say skydiving has helped me in the real world more than I could have EVER dreamed possible. 203 miles per hour! Holy crap!! That's like, 2.3 times how fast you'd need to go for 1.21 Gigawats!!! _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."